8.

Radicals - Mixed Index

Knowing that a radical has the same properties as exponents (written as a ratio)
allows us to manipulate radicals in new ways. One thing we are allowed to do is
reduce, not just the radicand, but the index as well. This is shown in the fol-
lowing example.

Example 1.
p
8
x6 y 2 Rewrite as raitonal exponent
1
(x6 y 2) 5 Multiply exponents
6 2
x y8 8 Reduce each fraction
3 1
x y
4 4 All exponents have denominator of 4, this is our new index
p
4
x3 y Our Solution

What we have done is reduced our index by dividing the index and all the expo-
nents by the same number (2 in the previous example). If we notice a common
factor in the index and all the exponnets on every factor we can reduce by
dividing by that common factor. This is shown in the next example

Example 2.
√
24
a6b9c15 Index and all exponents are divisible by 3
√
8
a2b3c5 Our Solution

We can use the same process when there are coefficients in the problem. We will
first write the coefficient as an exponential expression so we can divide the
exponet by the common factor as well.

Example 3.
√
9
8m6n3 Write 8 as 23
√
9 3 6 3
2mn Index and all exponents are divisible by 3
√
3
2m2n Our Solution

We can use a very similar idea to also multiply radicals where the index does not
match. First we will consider an example using rational exponents, then identify
the pattern we can use.

1
Example 4.
√
3
√
4
ab2 a2b Rewrite as rational exponents
1 1
2 2
(ab ) (a b)3 4 Multiply exponents
1 2 2 1
a b a b
3 3 4 4 To have one radical need a common denominator, 12
4 8 6 3
a b a b
12 12 12 12 Write under a single radical with common index, 12
√
12 4 8 6 3
abab Add exponents
√
12 10 11
a b Our Solution

To combine the radicals we need a common index (just like the common denomi-
nator). We will get a common index by multiplying each index and exponent by
an integer that will allow us to build up to that desired index. This process is
shown in the next example.

Example 5.
√
4
√
6
a2b3 a2b Common index is 12.
Multiply first index and exponents by 3, second by 2
√
12
a6b9a4b2 Add exponents
√
12 10 11
a b Our Solution

Often after combining radicals of mixed index we will need to simplify the
resulting radical.

Example 6.
p
5
p
x3 y 4 3 x2 y Common index: 15.
Multiply first index and exponents by 3, second by 5
p
15
x9 y 12x10y 5 Add exponents
p
15 19 17
x y Simplify by dividing exponents by index, remainder is left inside
p
xy 15 x4 y 2 Our Solution

Just as with reducing the index, we will rewrite coefficients as exponential expres-
sions. This will also allow us to use exponent properties to simplify.

Example 7.
p
3
p
4x2 y 4 8xy 3 Rewrite 4 as 22 and 8 as 23
p
3
p
22x2 y 4 23xy 3 Common index: 12.
Multiply first index and exponents by 4, second by 3
p
12
24x8 y 429x3 y 9 Add exponents (even on the 2)
p
12 13 11 13
2 x y Simplify by dividing exponents by index, remainder is left inside
p
2y 12 2x11y Our Solution

2
If there is a binomial in the radical then we need to keep that binomial together
through the entire problem.

Example 8.

p
3x(y + z) 3 9x(y + z)2
p
Rewrite 9 as 32
p
3x(y + z) 3 32x(y + z)2
p
Common index: 6. Multiply first group by 3, second by 2
p
6
33x3(y + z)334x2(y + z)4 Add exponents, keep (y + z) as binomial
p
6
37x5(y + z)7 Simplify, dividing exponent by index, remainder inside
p
3(y + z) 6 3x5(y + z) Our Solution

The same process is used for dividing mixed index as with multilpying mixed
index. The only difference is our final answer can’t have a radical over the denom-
inator.

Example 9.

p
6
x4 y 3z 2
p
8
Common index is 24. Multiply first group by 4, second by 3
x7 y 2z
r
24 x16 y 12z 8
Subtract exponents
x21y 6z 3
p
24
x−5 y 6z 5 Negative exponent moves to denominator

r
12 y 6z 5
Can ′t have denominator in radical, need 12x ′s, or 7 more
x5
r r !
12 y 6z 5 12 x7 √
12
Multiply numerator and denominator by x7
x5 x7

p
12
x7 y 6z 5
Our Solution
x

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

3
8.7

Practice - Radicals of Mixed Index

Reduce the following radicals.

p p
1) 8 16x4 y 6 2) 4
9x2 y 6
p
12
q
3) 64x4 y 6z 8 4) 4 25x3
16x5
q
6 16x2
5)
p
15
9y 4 6) x9 y 12z 6
p
12
p
10
7) x6 y 9 8) 64x8 y 4
p
8
p
4
9) 8x3 y 6 10) 25y 2
p
9
p
16
11) 8x3 y 6 12) 81x8 y 12

Combine the following radicals.

√ √
13) 3 5 6
p p
35) 27a5(b + 1) 3 81a(b + 1)4
√ √ √
15) x 3 7y 37)
3
√
a2
4
a
√ √
17) x3 x−2 p
4
x2 y 3
39) √
3 xy
p
5 √
19) x2 y xy √
ab3c
41) √
5
a2b3c−1
p
4
p
3
21) xy 2 x2 y
4
p
(3x − 1)3
√
4 2 2
√
5 2 3 43)
23) a bc a b c
p
5
(3x − 1)3

√ √4
p
3
(2x + 1)2
25) a a3 45) 5
p
(2x + 1)2
√
5 2
√
27) b b3 14)
√
3
√
74 5
p p
3
29) xy 3 x2 y √ √
16) 3 y 5 3z
√
4
p
4 √
9ab3 9x3 yz 2 4 √
31) 18) 3x y+4
p
3
p √ √
5
33) 3xy 2z 4 9x3 yz 2 20) ab 2a2b2

4
 √
5
√
4
p p
3
22) a2b3 a2b 36) 8x (y + z)5 4x2(y + z)2
√
3
x2
p
6
p
5
24) x2 yz 3 x2 yz 2 38) √
5 x
√
3
√
6 √
26) x2 x5 5
a4b2
40) √
3
ab2
√
4
√
3 3 2
28) a a 5
p
x3 y 4z 9
42) p
√ √ xy −2z
5 3
30) ab ab
3
p
(2 + 5x)2
44) p
4
(2 + 5x)
p p
3
32) 2x3 y 3 4xy 2
4
p
(5 − 3x)3
√
4 3 4
√
3 2 46)
34) abc ab c 3
p
(5 − 3x)2

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

5
8.7

Practice - Radicals of Mixed Index

Reduce the following radicals.

p p
1) 8 16x4 y 6 2) 4
9x2 y 6
p q
3) 12 64x4 y 6z 8 4) 4 25x3
16x5
q 2
16x
5) 6 9y4
p
15
6) x9 y 12z 6
p
12
p
10
7) x6 y 9 8) 64x8 y 4
p
8
p
9) 8x3 y 6 10) 4 25y 2
p p
11) 9 8x3 y 6 12) 16 81x8 y 12

Combine the following radicals.

√ √
13) 3 5 6
p
4
(3x − 1)3
43) 5
p
(3x − 1)3
√ √
15) x 3 7y 3
p
(2x + 1)2
√ √ 45)
17) x 3 x − 2
p
5
(2x + 1)2
√
3
√
p
19) 5 x2 y xy
√ 14) 74 5
√
3 y 5 3z
√
p p 16)
21) 4 xy 2 3 x2 y
√
4 √
√
4
√
5 18) 3x y + 4
23) a2bc2 a2b3c
√ √ 5
√ √4 20) ab 2a2b2
25) a a3
√ √
5 2 3 4 2
√
5
√ 22) ab ab
27) b2 b3
p
6
p
p p 24) x2 yz 3 5 x2 yz 2
29) xy 3 3 x2 y
√
3
√
6
√
4
p 26) x2 x5
31) 9ab3 4 9x3 yz 2 √ √
4 3 3 2
p p 28) a a
33) 3 3xy 2z 4 9x3 yz 2 √
5 3 √
p p 30) a b ab
35) 27a5(b + 1) 3 81a(b + 1)4 p p
√
3 32) 2x3 y 3 3 4xy 2
a2
37) √
4 a √ √
3
34) a4b3c4 ab2c
4
p
x2 y 3
39)
p p
√
3 xy 36) 8x (y + z)5 3 4x2(y + z)2
√ √
3
ab3c x2
41) √
5
38) √
5
a2b3c−1 x

6
 √
5
p
3
a4b2 (2 + 5x)2
40) √
3
44) 4
p
ab2 (2 + 5x)
p
5
p
4
x3 y 4z 9 (5 − 3x)3
42) p 46) 3
p
xy −2z (5 − 3x)2

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)